Arsenic, lead and cadmium concentration in food and estimated daily intake in the Cuban population and the health risks using a Total Diet Study
Luisbel González-Pérez de Medina, Ociel Muñoz, Yenisleidys Fernández-Guerrero, Analese Roman-Benn, José Miguel Bastías‐Montes, Roberto Quevedo, María Cristina Ravanal
Abstract
This study estimates the intake of arsenic, lead and cadmium by the adult population (aged 18–91) of Cuba. The food consumption indices were obtained through 24-h dietary recall surveys applied to 450 people between October 2020 and March 2021. The Estimated Dietary Intake (EDI) of t-As (54.6 μg/day), Pb (118.5 μg/day) and Cd (35.1 μg/day) complied with Cuban legislation but was higher than the EDI for Cd established by the CONTAM Panel. The Target Hazard Quotients for the three contaminants were: iAs (0.220), Pb (0.409) and Cd (0.424), making the value of the Total Target Hazard Quotient 1.05, which indicates potential health risks for the population. Additionally, associated carcinogenic risks were: iAs (1.0·10−4), Pb (7.2·10−4) and Cd (25.9·10−4). Therefore, 10, 72 and 259 persons per 100,000 inhabitants are likely prone to developing cancer due to the ingestion of iAs, Pb and Cd, respectively.